Howdy! I've been gardening pretty serious on this plot for nearly 15 years, and it's time to take my adolescent garden into the next phase of development...a central Tejas mature edible forest art project and wildlife habitat. Jump in anytime, your comments are invaluable so please leave one.
Zone 8b, Austin~TEXAS, Crestview

Friday, June 22, 2012

This Week at CG

This is the Texas eyed click beetle, or Alaus lusciosus, in my front yard on Thursday. I've seen them before but decided to look him up to learn a little bit about him and why I don't always see these in the yard. Notice where he is? Well, they are normally found in hardwood forests and this guy was right under where I had moved an Ash stump.

They're harmless, and hardly eat much once they're above ground but the eye spots can be spooky! This guy ranges from Texas to Florida and northward all the way into Canada. They have a special movement where they arch their backs and spring or snap out...which helps them to right themselves if found on their backs. The eye spots are just that...their real eyes are small and up front...apparently the big eyes helps thwart attacks from birds and other prey because it startles them and they usually move on.

Soon after snapping that shot I had a few friends over for a little breakfast nip...Bloody Mary's or what I call a salad with a kick! My friend Meredith had never had one, and I was determined that she should...though she did warn me that she wasn't a tomato fan. My thought is that if you add at least 4-5 veggies, you justify that wee shot (or two) of vodka...big whoop!

I always start with red onion (from the garden) and smash it up below the ice to spice up the juice...I prefer Zing Zang or Opal Divines...but the IGA was out, so V-8 had to do. The photo above show the veggies, minus the peppercini which I forgot!

So, we had carrot, celery, onion, olives, a sprig of cilantro, horseradish, tumeric, ground black pepper, lime, Worchestire Sauce a shot of potato vodka (I'm avoiding wheat or I'd have had one of our famous Texas Vodkas) tomato juice...stir! Yum, a great way to start an otherwise boring day, though I don't really think anyone can be bored if they just open their eyes.

We've been walking outside in the evenings around 8 to watch the purple martins dive, swoop and swirl!

(Photos by loving spouse)

A few years back, I talked the groundsman at the church, who is a retired carpenter, into building a Martin house and it's been 3 years now...and they hang out nightly! The church people are clueless, as the show isn't during operational hours!

Join us some night ! We'll be in our jammies, cocktail in hand enjoying the neighbors and the view!

While checking on the basil status, I just had to grab a shot of the ruellia I thought I'd removed when I changed the shape of the beds...it's just so hard to get rid of...anybody want some? It's the pink variety.

Above, is a Carolina Wren's nest that I found this week while watering my Cecille Bruenner rose, below: Machlaw eggplant...the first one!

...and the second round of Lebanese eggplant, these were delicious on the grill!

The "not so often seen" in the garden cat...Persephone Sage, my daughter Autumn's old girl, and the mother of my beloved garden cat, Bob. She's a yodeler, an indoor sleeper who gets a bath regularly...and loves it.

This is the place I dumped out the 'rest' of the package of basil seeds this spring!

Here's the harvest and the first round of pesto making today.

I don't put pine-nuts in my pesto because it's not good for my thyroid...so I've read, so I add organic walnuts instead and have come to prefer the bitter edge. Anyway, I'd include a recipe...but I don't really measure...it's a consistency thing and I think everyone does it their own way...anyway I have it, I love it!

My sweet kitchen help, Autumn, home from college. She made a peach cobbler last week that was divine!

We only got 51/2 jars, which is pretty tiny...but I hope we'll have a few more harvests before it gets cold.

And here was lunch today with tomatoes from the garden! What's going on in your garden? I hope lots of yummy food and spices!

4 comments:

Cheryl, your garden is as lovely and inspirational as always, and the art all around was mesmerizing Don't feel bad that you didn't convert me to Bloody Marys -- it was a long shot! I could tell it was good, just not my cup of tea because of the tomato juice. On the other hand, the loquat margarita was divine and I was craving more! Thank you so much for spending the morning, and then lunch, with us!

love the birds-we don't have as many as we did when we lived on the Oregon Coast. City birds are not the same! (even in tiny cities!) And someday I hope to 'spill' a packet of seeds and have them actually GROW! I think I have put at least 2 packages of cosmos in the ground and there are 3 tiny plants so far. And poppies? I know I have put a zillion seeds in the area I want them to grow and nary a one has popped out of the ground. Sigh! Lovely gardens you have.

Wordy Wednesday! Solstice 2012!

Happy Solstice, sun lovers, garden gurus, lovers of life and the cycle that it is! I had great plans of unveiling a wild hippy flower for the solstice, but...the true hippy-snake-wild-woman-babba-yaga that I am got busy living life and didn't get it finish...who cares? It is what it is...and it looks better than it did. I hope you all have a big bon-fire, pour a little libation on mother earth, sprint across the flames and toast to another year...the darkness comes...get ready. xoxoxox

Wordy Wednesday 6.13.2012

Hiiiisssssss...I spent this day with my snake friend Lesley Belle...gardener, yogi, reader, jogger, wonderful new snake friend who likes to crochet in the summer when it's too hot to be outside. The Passionflower vine is awesome at all stages...tomorrow...onto Meredith's house to meet her pet snakes!

CBC Update

I wrote to the CBC on April 26th letting them know that I'd had an arborist come out to confirm the fire blight on their giant Barlet Pear tree and had a quote for them. They have yet to have it removed. I've had to let go of any hope or fear about what it will do to my garden, and our neighbors's gardens. Here is a shot of the hell strip across the street. I've continued to plant things there and try to go over at least once a month to pull weeds and keep it somewhat tidy. The rocket myrtle is looking lovely!

Word! Wednesday, 6.6.2012

Kung Pao!

Wordy Wednesday 5.30.2012

My favorite breakfast food! I get out and snatch up the fresh figs before the birds can get to them! Sweet, juicy and delicious!

Wordy Wednesday 5.23.2012

Lunch today, from the garden...3 different heirloom tomatoes, 3 different onions, basil and sorrel, all mixed in with mozzarella, grated carrot, EVOO, Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper! Yum!

Wordless Wednesday 5.16.2012

Lebanese Bunching Eggplant

Wordless Wednesday 5.9.2012

The first 'maters!

Wordless Wednesday 5.2.2012

We'll be having a moment of silence for our friend and dirt diva, Eleanor Pratt who passed away peacefully on Friday at our Crestview Garden Tour this coming Sunday morning. She was such a fun person with a deep love of nature and gardening! Rest in Peace, Eleanor.

Wordless Wednesday 4.25.2012

Wordy Wednesday 4.18.2012

We have our first batch of peaches...2 trees left, this is the one I planted across the street and for some reason, she always goes first! They are tiny, but worm free and delicious!

Wordy Wednesday 4.4.2012

Philip Leveredge is calling this the "Year of the Loquat" and I agree. We've cleaned and frozen 7 one gallon bags from our one tree out back, and consumed dozens of the juicy fruit standing in the backyard in the sunshine! We've not had the time to make chutney or jam yet, but have been enjoying Loquat Margaritas! Yum!!

Wordy Wednesday 3.21.2012

At 7:30 this morning I went out to snap a few shots of the garden and discovered the owl. I sat with her the entire day...until 3:30, when the American Elm she and her babies called home had been taken down around her, she dropped down into her box. Had I known that my Mr. Owl had started a family, I'd have waited on the tree. As it was, we didn't realize it was "mama owl" until several hours later...when she refused to leave, and then finally at sunset, when Mr. Owl arrived...I hope the babies make it and that we have a family...come May!

Not so Wordless Wednesday 3-7-2012

...like "popcorn popping on the apricot tree." Summer camp song

Wordy Wednesday 2-29-2012

I walked into the kitchen just in time to see mama redwinged black bird strike the window just inches away from the supposedly "safety sticker" purchased from Audubon specifically for preventing bird strikes. She was in shock and we were terrified that one of our furry monsters would get her...so we carefully placed her in a little nest I made in a wire basket. Her beak was split up the middle and she sat still with her mouth open and her head at a strange cocked angle for a good 5 minutes. I ran and got the camera and when I came out she had closed her mouth...which was bleeding at the tip and her breathing had calmed. I went inside to give her some peace, when I opened the door 20 minutes later...she took off!

Wordy Wednesday 2-15-2012

Wanda and Walter Whooping Crane near the "Big Tree" Goose Island. Ever since I read "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" by Tom Robbins, I've been in love with the Whooping Crane. We've made two trips to the coast this winter to see them. This up coming weekend, Feb 18th is the Whooping Crane Festival! We took the "Skimmer" out of Rockport, a 3 1/2 hour boat trip around Aransas Wildlife Preserve and saw the most amazing birds! You must go, you simply must!

Wordless Wednesday 12-28-11

Sago Palm!

Thanksgiving Guest!

11.24.2011

Wordless Wednesday

11.23.2011

11.11.11

Our homestead TV guest!

Dia De Los Muertos

11.2.2011

Wordless Wednesday

10.26.2011

Wordless Wednesday

10/19/2011

Wordy Wednesday 07.27.11

What's there to eat in the garden in all this heat? Figs and Okra...daily!

Central Texas Gardener Interview

Wordy Wednesday 7/6/2011

3 weeks later...and both of Greg's beds are out of control, as in he watered them but didn't pay attention to where the vines, vined. It's a wild, wooly world in there and I don't know how or what will happen. I'm off again on Saturday, so it's up to him to keep it alive in this heat! Good luck!!!

Sqare Foot Beds!

Wordless Wednesday

05.08.2011

Wordy Wednesday 05.01.11

We are tomato gaga over here! Today is the last day of school for my Autumn Sage, my tomato loving garden girl! She graduates tomorrow and is off to Trinity in the Fall. I intend to spoil this kid rotton her last summer home! The gal on my right is my next door neighbor, also tomato enthusiast, Dana Lynn.

Wordy Wednesday 05.25.11

It's been over a week that I've had tomato, basil, mozz, Balsamic vinegar, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, French salt and fresh cracked pepper salad for lunch. Hallalujah tomato season is upon us!

Wordy Wednesday 5.18.2011

My dad died on Sunday, May 15th...Bloomday, I didn't post. He never got to see my garden, but he kept up with my blog. I hope he's found peace.

Wordy Wednesday

Onion harvest from yesterday! Yay...now to figure out what to plant in the empty space...Happy Gardening!

Wordy Wednesday

These are the peaches that I harvested from one of the trees I planted across the street...destined to become a pitcher of Margaritas. I shall sit on the bench that Melvin built and drink it whilst looking at my garden and enjoying a perfect Tejas evening...yum! Happy Gardening!!!

Wordless Wednesday

5.4.2011

Wordless Wednesday

04.27.2011

Wordless Wednesday

4.20.2011

Wordless Wednesday

04.06.2011

Wordless Wednesday

03.30.2011

Wordless Wednesday

03.16.2011

Wordless Wednesday

03.09.11

Wordless Wednesday

03/02/11

Wordless Wednesday

02/23/11

Wordless Wednesday

12.08.2010

Wordless Wednesday

11.17.2010

Wordless Wednesday

11.10.2010

Wordless Wednesday

11.03.2010

Wordless Wednesday

10.27.2010

Brentwood Pool Workday Sunday October 3rd

Hey gardeners, we could use some help at the Brentwood Pool this Sunday morning at 8am. We will be clearing out what's left of the invasive species (nandina, mostly) and putting in whatever native plants show up as donation. Great chance to meet some cool folks in the hood! Come on out!
(Don't forget to bring a shovel, water, gloves and a pruner!)

Wordless Wednesday

My sweet Autumn Sage, in the autumn sage...18 today! 10.20.2010

Wordless Wednesday

10.13.2010

Wordless Wednesday

10.6.2010

Wordless Wednesday

09.29.2010

Wordless Wednesday

09.22.2010

Wordless Wednesday

9.15.2010

Wordless Wednesday

9.8.2010

Wordless Wednesday

08.25.2010

Workday #2 at Firestation #16 8.22.2010

The Hell-strip prep is complete! Go team!

Wordless Wednesday

08.18.2010

Texas Hummingbird Roundup August 13-15 Davis Mts.

There are 18 documented hummingbirds in Texas, though it is believed that several Mexican hummers veer north into the Lone Star State. We're hoping to catch a glimpse during the high season!

Wordless Wednesday

08.11.2010

Travis County Master Gardeners Meeting Tonight!

TCMGA monthly meeting is tonight at the Zilker Clubhouse 7-9pm, August 4, 2010. Patty Leander and Vicki Blackman, who both write for Texas Gardener Magazine will present a lecture on Vertical Gardening...vines, veggies, roses and more!

Wordless Wednesday

08.04.2010

Wordless Wednesday

07.28.2010

Thank you Linda of Patchwork Gardens for awarding me the Bestblog! I'm honored!

Wordless Wednesday

7.21.2010

Wordless Wednesday

7.14.2010

Wordless Wednesday

7.7.2010

Wordless Wednesday

06.30.2010

Wordless Wednesday

06.23.2010

Wordless Wednesday

06.16.2010

Wordless Wednesday

06.09.2010

Wordless Wednesday

6.02.2010

Wordless Wednesday

05.26.2010

Wordless Wednesday

05.12.2010

Wordless Wednesday

05.05.2010

Wordless Wednesday

04.21.2010

Wordless Wednesday

04.14.2010

Wordless Wednesday

04.07.2010

Wordless Wednesday

3.17.2010

Wordless Wednesday

3.10.2010

Wordless Wednesday

3.3.10

Wordless Wednesday

2.24.2010

Wordless Wednesday

2.10.2010

Wordless Wednesday

01.13.2010

Wordless Wednesday

12.16.09

Wordless Wednesday

12.9.09

Wordless Wednesday

12.02.09

Wordless Wednesday

11.25.09

Wordless Wednesday

11.18.09

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11.11.09

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11.4.09

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10.28.09

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10.14.09

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10.7.09

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9.30.09

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9.23.09

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9.16.09

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9.9.09

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8.19.09

Wordless Wednesday

7.29.09

Wordless Wednesday

7.22.09

Wordless Wednesday 7.15.09

Wolf Spider

Wordless Wednesday 7.8.9

Frog fruit

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Gandhi

Welcome to my blog here in Austin Texas. I'm a mother, artist, landscape designer, yogini and avid garden enthusiast looking for opportunites to beautify and learn. I have an experimental garden that is always in a state of frenzy and a deep desire to play outside. Can't think of a better way to reduce my carbon footprint than growin' things and cultivating a place for all the magical critters and plants in the world. Leave me a comment so I know you were here! Happy Gardening!

Wordless Wednesday

6.24.09

Wordless Wednesday

6.17.09

Wordless Wednesday

6.10.09

Wordless Wednesday

6.3.09

Wordless Wednesday

5.27.09

Wordless Wednesday

5.20.09

Wordless Wednesday

5.13.09

Japanese Silkies from Elayne!

Cloud, Rue and Blanca

Wordless Wednesday

5.6.09

Wordless Wednesday

4.29.09

Chicas Verdes

I went to lunch today with a host of lovely Green Ladies who meet at various locations on the first Tuesday of each month to discuss all things Green in Austin and beyond. The speaker was Niyanta Spelman, executive director of a fairly new NGO, Rainforest Partnership~Linking People to People for a Sustainable Future. It's a worthy cause and I wanted to give a shout out to her group and invite folks to check out their site if this tugs your heartstrings.

Her presentation was engaging and she is available for presentations and networking.

Wordless Wednesday

4.22.09

Melvin Working on the Arbor Extension

Marvelous Melvin

Melvin Sawyer, has attended the church across the street for over 50 years and can be seen most days working the grounds. We've become friends through the beautification efforts and he has been helping me on some projects around the house as well. He's built several benches for the neighborhood and he's a real gem! Thank Heaven for Melvin!

Watering the Roses at the CBC's new garden!

A few neighbors and church folk came out to help.

Rose Garden Planting at CBC Valentines Day 2009

We are going to be putting in a rose garden tomorrow morning at the Baptist Church on Dartmouth Ave. Anyone in the neighborhood is welcome to join us. We'll meet at the coffeeshop at 10am for cookies and a brief talk, then we'll be planting 9 Martha Gonzales roses, leaving space for an upcoming pergola to house two Lady Banksia's. Both roses are featured in the new Grow Green guide that will be released to the public on February 22nd, next Sunday at Zilker Botanical Gardens for the 5th annual Grow Green Festival. The festival begins at 12 noon and is free. Please help us keep Austin Green!

What is your Signature Plant?

This is in response to Tina's question (In The Garden) about signature plants. It came to me right away as I was reading...mine is a Sunflower...for many reasons. They are a weed, the Kansas State Flower, where I was born, they are super sensitive to sunlight...that's why I live in Texas...to keep warm, I'm a sun-lover, yellow is the most cheery color, there are so many different kinds of Sunflowers...one for every mood it seems. Also, almost every part of the flower is useful: petals for dye, stalk for fiber art, seeds...well that's obvious. They bloom where planted. I feel strong and diverse, like a sunflower...When I took the "what flower are you?" test onGardening While Intoxicated blog, I came up Sunflower and last but not least...I have a two flower tattoos...one of them is a Sunflower:)

Beans, Beans, Beans!

I threw down beans to set nitrogen in the soil and didn't expect to have purple greenbean-salad for Thanksgiving!

Glass Mulch

I'll plant something eventually but I just like the way it sparkles for now!

Schnitzel in the glass

Free Glass Mulch

So many other Austin Bloggers have already touched on the subject but after I put "going to pick up glass mulch" on my Facebook, the "Northerners" wanted to see what I was talking about...so here it is. I'm picking some up for my garden at Zilker on Monday and will post images after the planting in early December. I think it makes a great design element...fun and...keeping Austin Weird.

Tree Planting November 1st!

We are just one week away from the scheduled planting date at the CBC on East Dartmouth Ave, south side of the street.I'm encouraging everyone to show up at 10am for coffee at the Connection Cafe and to pick a tree. Please bring your garden gloves, shovel and wheel barrel if you have one. Davey Trees is delivering mulch! There are 17 trees to be planted along the sidewalk and around the corner on Woodrow Ave. This project is to help replace the 5 trees that have died over the past decade, beautify and also to address the heat island effect.Please join your neighbors in this project! It's a great opportunity to introduce your kids to gardening and get involved. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to call me @ 459.7314

Happy Gardening!

Lovely Lithops

Butt rock, split rock, brain rock

From the Nambian Desert

I'm just crazy about this plant. It's so cute and tiny and has a bunch of common names, Butt Rock is my fav. The cool thing is that each side is a leaf and it sometimes blooms...in Autumn. I've got 3 of 'em and I'm holding myself back from watering because it doesn't need or want it, which makes it even more of a mystery as to how it musters up the energy to bloom. Got 'em at Shoal Creek Nursery...I'll post if she decides to show her pretty face.

CBC Update!

The time is drawing near for the CBC/Dartmouth Av. Beautification Project to happen. Paul from TreeFolks came by last week to verify the space and trees for our November 1st plant date. We will be putting 17 trees into the ground along both Woodrow and Dartmouth Av. At the Neighbors Night Out I will have a map of the tree locations and familys can choose which tree to plant. My daughter has designed a T-shirt logo that you can check out and we will order shirts for participants who want to share the joy. Remember to bring your own shovel for digging and hauling mulch. This spring we will add flowers and hopefully some benches! Please join usin the transformation of our street!

Time to turn the Compost

Peep, Esperanza and Tammy Faye pigging out on roaches!

Hard Core Gardening...

I got up early today because I was excited about Ike. No dice.It's 2:30 now and I've been outside since 7am working the soil, yanking out spent plants, planting some seeds...doing some well needed tending while enjoying the breeze and wondering how long I would be able to work before the downpour. Look's like Ike took a hike and left Austin hi & dry. At least I got some stuff done, and got the seasonal kick out of watching the chickens run like mad and squabble over bugs!

Fall cleaning & planting

Backyard herb garden

Datura at Zilker...

Hindu Datura

Purple Frill at Zilker

D.metel 'Cornucopaea'

Innoxia

Innoxia at Zilker

CBC Update!

We are having a meeting with Tree Folks September 12th just to verify the space and trees. Some of the grass has grown back but we're dedicated to getting the good stuff in right! Our current planting date is still set for November 1st, 10am and we can use all the help we can get...if you'd like to know how just e-mail me at greengardener@grandecom.netThe Crestview Baptist Church has really taken going green quite serious. This morning I was speaking to their Minister of Community Connection and he informed me that the entire staff were now taking Monday's off to save energy...Right On!

CBC Compost Bins

2 full, 3 to go!

Tearin' it up!

Takin' a Break

CBC Plan Approved!

The beautification plan for the Crestview Baptist Church was approved and we'll begin the transformation in November. The public property portion is waiting for free trees through the Communitrees Project at TreeFolks. The rest of the actual church property is open for donations and we'd love volunteers to help plant. The planned date is Saturday November 1st and the rain date is the 15th, 10am. From now until then, the Church is planing to install the hard scape! Yahoo...Go Green!

My Sweet Girls!

Tammy Faye, Esperanza, Peep & Gladys

Chicken Heaven

One of the joys of gardening is the evolution of crap, or composting. I love turning the pile...it's hard work for surebut it's just so rewarding. The top is always dry and airy but when you dig down to that super rich level...full of bugs and worms and wet delicious smelling fresh soil, you know you're doing the right thing. No one loves helping out more than the chickens. They are usually a bit jumpy due to their teeny weeny bird-brains but when they have their sight on dozens, maybe hundreds of plump critters their excitement and need for protein overwhelm their fear of the shovel and they literally dive in face first. I'm going to have to catch it on film sometime...they love compost almost as much as my dog loves Kitty-Rocha. Nasty, nasty stuff.

Monday in the Garden 5/17/08

Celebrity Tomato

Thai Basil

Tomatillo's

Orange Banana Tomato

The sole Pepper:(

Blackberry Bounty

Jackpot!

Old Fashioned Family Fun

Taking photos at dawn is the best. Staging photos is an art form. Dealing with pre-teens and full on teenaged girls can be a nightmare. We were down visiting my neighbor's horses a few weeks ago and stumbled upon a blackberry forest...literally! So we decided to arrange a morning of bliss. The following weekend we took my two girls out to pick blackberries, ride horses and do a photo shoot. A morning like this has the potential of going sour, not everyone rises like the sun, shiny and full of energy...not to mention typical teenaged attitude and the borage of petty complaints. Throw in a camera however and suddenly eyes sparkle, hair flies, dimples emerge and between handling the animals, the reflection on the water, arranging the props and making sure your models don't have blue lips and are not tearing each others hair out for "that shirt" the potential for magic emerges. The girls were so funny, they couldn't believe how many blackberries there were..."how many can we eat? As much as you want, but let's take enough home for a cobbler." (Rare sound of giddy squealing) The second location was in the hayloft. The texture of the hay and soft lighting were perfect. I was expecting wining about how it itched or the bugs etc...but it all seemed fine, we just made sure that the same amount of attention was paid each model. Then off to the horses, who would be fed after their work. Now working with horses is a bit more of a challenge. Taking a picture of a flower is one thing...composition, lighting, background...mostly nature takes care of the beauty but the horses have to be directed along with the girls, and of course there is the safety issue and only one of the girls is comfortable and "into" horses. Once again though, the camera seemed to erase all fear and the inner model arose. The entire shoot lasted about 4 hours, which included feeding and tending 4 horses, 5 changes of clothes, staging photos at 3 locations and picking several containers of berries and one prairie-girl sized basket. The great thing is that the morning goes down in history, beautifully. In a few years we won't even remember the hassle...Blackberry slideshow under construction.

Off to pick blackberries at Sunrise!

Volunteer Poppy

"Poppies will put them to sleep"

Neighboring Fence Project

I hate cyclone fences. My neighbor has the biggest yard on the block and we have an old cyclone fence dividing our property. We made an agreement to cover this monster with beauty. So each year I will plant two blackberries and two Peggy Martin Roses (ramblers) on my side and she will plant the same each Fall. We are hoping that in 5 years that the line dividing our property will be all berries and roses, a visual representation of our friendship! I will post the progress...